Page 1 of 2 Next >>Two years early, Ferrari presented the company's 50th anniversary model, suitably dubbed the F50, at the 1995 Geneva Motor Show. The F50 succeeded the F40 as the Italian manufacturer's range topping model. Whereas the F40 had been the ultimate expression of Ferrari's road cars of the 1980s, the F50 was effectively a Formula 1 racing car for the road. This was literally the case as the mighty V12 mounted amidships was derived directly from the Formula 1 engines of the early 1990s. The F50 was also one of the first production cars to feature a carbon-fibre composite monocoque.

Although boasting a slightly larger displacement of 4.7 litres compared to 3.5 litres of the F1 engine, the F50's V12 carried over the 65° cylinder angle and sophisticated five-valve cylinder head. Of these five valves, three were used for the intake and two for the exhaust. The naturally aspirated unit produced 513bhp at 8,000 rpm. It was mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. Together they served as a structural member of the chassis and were directly bolted to the carbon-fibre monocoque, much in the same way as is common practice on a modern racing car.

The carbon-fibre composite monocoque was constructed for Ferrari by specialists Cytec Aerospace. The fuel was stored in rubber bags in the structure between the driver compartment and the engine mounts. Like the F1 cars of the day, the suspension was through double wishbones with push-rod actuated springs and dampers. The dampers were electronically controlled and adjusted to suit the road conditions and speed of the car. The smooth Pininfarina designed body was honed in the wind-tunnel. Constructed from lightweight carbon-fibre composites, it featured a removable hard-top. Page 1 of 2 Next >>